A journalism professor at University of Colorado Boulder claims that extensive news coverage of Donald Trump serves as a strategic echo of tactics used by the Third Reich.
In an essay published on the academic site The Conversation, Professor Angie Chuang described her long career in journalism and race studies and asserted that the Trump administration’s rhetorical style mimics authoritarian playbooks. She argues that Trump’s shifting policy statements and inflammatory remarks generate continuous headlines, a calculated effort to flood public discourse and weaken the boundaries of who is considered part of the nation.
Professor Chuang wrote: “I am a longtime journalist and now scholar of journalism and race, trained to see the methods and aims behind political leaders’ press operations. And as I show in my forthcoming book, the Trump administration’s rhetorical strategies echo the playbooks of authoritarian and white supremacist organizations such as the Third Reich and some factions of the modern alt‑right movement.”
Chuang contends that this strategy’s goal is “authoritarian power that greatly narrows the scope of who truly belongs and has rights in this country as an American.” She also made a connection to Trump’s remark about “very fine people on both sides” during the 2017 Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally, claiming the remark is evidence of aligning with extremist tactics.
Critics responding to this claim argue the comparison to the Third Reich is hyperbolic and distracts from meaningful critique. Supporters say it surfaces concerns about media saturation, narrative control, and the boundaries of civil discourse in a polarized era.
